Jusuf Nurkic is out indefinitely after a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe in his right foot. The Jazz center will miss the start of the season and is not expected back before Nov. 4.
What happened
The Jazz listed Nurkic as out on Friday's 8:23 a.m. ET injury report, with the issue marked as a right foot and leg problem. Chris Haynes of NBA TV reported that Nurkic will miss at least the next four weeks because of a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe in his right foot. There was no previous status attached to this report, so this is the first word on the injury. The expected return is Nov. 4.
What it means for the Jazz
Utah is set to play at the Suns on Friday at 10:00 p.m. ET without its starting center. Last season Nurkic averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 26.4 minutes over 41 games. With him out, the center minutes fall to Walker Kessler, who logged 30.8 minutes, 14.4 points and figures to start in Nurkic's place, with Lauri Markkanen (34.3 minutes, 26.7 points) and Keyonte George (33.1 minutes, 23.6 points) carrying the rest of the load. The 2026-27 season has not started, so there is no record yet with or without him.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Nurkic's four-week timeline holds. No specific return date beyond the Nov. 4 target has been announced. The Jazz open the season without him and will need to navigate at least the opening weeks of the schedule with Kessler at center. Kyle Filipowski (back) and Blake Hinson (hip) are also listed day-to-day on the same report.
Is Jusuf Nurkic playing at Suns?
No. Nurkic is out for Friday's game at Suns with a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe in his right foot.
When will Jusuf Nurkic be back?
Chris Haynes of NBA TV reported Nurkic will miss at least four weeks. His expected return is Nov. 4, 2026.